Our family has been in the ranching business for five generations, our grandkids are the sixth generation. We have ranched and raised horses in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Arizona. We strive to keep ranching and raising our horses the way our forefathers did. We raise our colts outside in nature’s elements. Our horses are raised and used on our ranches. We believe a horse should be a horse and used in ranch work, and then whomever buys them has a great foundation to go on to any discipline they choose.
As a fourth generation rancher/ cowboy Kyle Best is passing on his family tradition to his kids and grandkids. He considers family the only real wealth, and knows the importance of it.
He tells a story of his Granddad, Red Best; ‘Kyle’s Grandmam, Eula Best, had just finished waxing their wooden floors and had them shining like a new silver dollar. She was so proud of them. One of the grandkids came in and slipped and fell because the floor was so slick. They hit their head pretty hard in the incident. Red went outside and brought in some sand and threw it all over the floor to make them not so slick. He felt the safety of their grandkids was way more important than appearances.’
Here are a few of the Best family cowboying traditions
- Back your horse out of the trailer
- Close the trailer gate after you get your horse out
- Do not turn your horses butt to the cattle
- No riding in front of anyone
- Do not ride off until everyone is on their horse
- example: fixing to leave the house, gate, trailer
Kyle’s ability to read cattle and what they were thinking helped him clean up two Arizona ranches, with the help of his crews. On the first ranch they gathered 700 more cows than what they thought they had, plus 2 loads of maverick bulls, and a load and a half of big steers. At the other ranch they gathered 500 more cows than were on the books.
Kyle knows when to pen cattle and when he has to rope one- of which he is very proficient. He has caught, tied down, and led out thousands of cattle over the years. It was a rare occasion that anyone caught more than he did for the day. Over the years his sons, Klancy and Trey, gained the knowledge and the ability to do it as well.
As a result of the miles and the work, there were plenty of good horses made. There were lots of wet saddle blankets from gathering, sorting, branding, and weaning thousands of cattle over the years. The Best family is proud to be able to raise the smart, tough, capable horses they ride and use on the ranches.
While doing it all Kyle still has so much compassion for all animals. Including the cow that got to stay for another year after trying to get her dead calf up for two days. And the crippled filly that he didn’t have the heart to do what the vet suggested, she has raised two colts so far and has been seen leading a band of mares to the pens. Kyle really enjoys watching the newborn calves and colts when they arrive. However, the grandkids are number one on the list of things he enjoys the most.
“A good family name is a blessing and we do well to be faithful stewards of it”
